Heroes Vs. Heros (Grammar Rules) - Writer's Digest

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Write Better NonfictionHeroes vs. Heros (Grammar Rules)

Learn when to use heroes vs. heros with Grammar Rules from the Writer’s Digest editors, including a few examples of correct usages.

Robert Lee Brewer

Published Jan 6, 2020 6:00 PM ESTShare this story

Many people are familiar with Bonnie Tyler's "Holding out for a Hero," and are familiar with her calling out, "I need a hero." And most people know the correct way to spell hero in the singular, but what if one hero is not enough? What if we need more than one of these heroic people? What do we call them?

(The Difference Between Heroin vs. Heroine.)

Let's courageously dive in!

Heroes vs. Heros

Heroes is the plural form of hero. So if Bonnie Tyler were to need more than one hero (let's say two), then she'd call out, "I need two heroes!"

Heros is a genus of fish native to South America. I'm not sure if any Heros happen to be heroes, but they are definitely fish.

Make sense?

Let's go through a few examples:

Correct: He doesn't need a hero; he needs five heroes.Incorrect: He doesn't need a hero; he needs five heros.

Correct: The Avengers is a team comprised of several heroes.Incorrect: The Avengers is a team comprised of several heros.

Correct: There are many fish species I don't understand, including the Heros of South America.Incorrect: There are many fish species I don't understand, including the heroes of South America.

Remember to add an "-es" to hero when you need more than one. While South America surely has its fair share of heroes, it's the only place (outside of an aquarium) that you're likely to find Heros.

*****

Learn more in the online course, Grammar and Mechanics, from Writer’s Digest University:

Share this storyGrammar Rulesgrammar tipsRobert Lee BrewerAuthor Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of Solving the World's Problems, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.Related StoriesPersonal WritingStrange Beauty: On Translating Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations”Aaron PoochigianCharacterCreating the Most Dangerous Character in the Room (FightWrite™)Carla HochLiteraryJan Saenz: Crafting a Book Is Crafting a PerformanceRobert Lee BrewerRevising & EditingBe Frankenstein: 5 Tips on Resurrecting a Dead DraftKirsten KaschockMemoirMimi Nichter: Give Yourself and Your Words the Time To MarinateRobert Lee BrewerPlotThe Failed Plot, and the Novel I Gained Along the WayRosie WalkerRelated StoriesPersonal WritingStrange Beauty: On Translating Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations”Aaron PoochigianCharacterCreating the Most Dangerous Character in the Room (FightWrite™)Carla HochLiteraryJan Saenz: Crafting a Book Is Crafting a PerformanceRobert Lee BrewerRevising & EditingBe Frankenstein: 5 Tips on Resurrecting a Dead DraftKirsten KaschockMemoirMimi Nichter: Give Yourself and Your Words the Time To MarinateRobert Lee BrewerPlotThe Failed Plot, and the Novel I Gained Along the WayRosie Walker

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